As a self-proclaimed die-hard David Tennant fan, I often think about the relationship between fans and celebrities. Have I watched many movies and TV shows that feature David Tennant? Of course. Do I religiously follow David Tennant’s life, mirroring his political and social opinions? No. While these examples outline two vastly different levels of fandom—being a casual fan versus being a worshiper—the underlying principle of both is the amount of time devoted to listening to, watching, and identifying with celebrities. Celebrity worship, which I define as the extreme identification with and idolization of celebrities, negatively impacts individuals’ self-identification and increases polarization within interpersonal communications.
Throughout US history, there have been numerous examples of such celebrity worship. Theodore Roosevelt popularized the ‘bully pulpit,’ the use and maximization of speaking platforms to advance public consciousness on particular topics, which consequently spread his fame and celebrity status within the United States [1][2]. FDR, in hosting and popularizing “Fireside Chats,” radio addresses that he used to ease the public’s concerns, instilled in Americans at the time a sense of familiarity, effectively establishing a parasocial relationship with them. JFK especially was seen as the epitome of white picket fence, aristocratic glamour and thus, coupled with his famously-rumored trysts, his celebrity status leading up to and within his time as president increased exponentially [3].
As such, the celebrity status of political figures within US history is not a novel outlier of an event, but rather a long-established precedent. It is no surprise, then, that such celebrity status of political figures continues today. Yet, the effects of modern celebrity and political figure worship produce more extreme, negative consequences due to increasing political polarization and self-identification with political parties and political figures.
Most notably, Donald Trump’s celebrity status has set a new precedent for celebrity worship, both within the Republican Party itself and amongst US citizens. Whereas the effects of the celebrity status and consequent worship of the aforementioned presidents cannot easily be measured, Donald Trump’s celebrity status and the consequences of it are different, however, as the increased prevalence of social media and access to news reports comparative to the 20th century have become ubiquitous. Take the recent Republican presidential debates, for example, where much of the emphasis in the first debate was on Trump, specifically on if the candidates would pardon him if they were elected and if they generally support him [4]. For a Republican debate to be so focused on a former president who was not personally at the debate signals a degree of celebrity worship the Republican party has for Trump, which is corroborated by an April NBC News poll, which shows that 37% of Republicans currently identify more as Trump supporters than as Republican Party supporters [5].
This is concerning. Not because of the amount of Trump supporters or because of Donald Trump himself, but rather because the Republican party has undergone a fascinating shift away from party identification in favor of identification either with or against Trump. As individuals increasingly place their identities with a celebrity, they begin to lose their individuality and identity, instead almost gaining the identity of the celebrity himself. This is evidenced by the January 6th US Capitol riot, in which individuals, largely Trump supporters, mobilized in response to words Trump said regarding the 2020 election. I do not mention this to take a partisan stance, but rather to again give evidence to the negative effects of celebrity worship and the decrease in individualism. Additionally, there remains a negative connotation to the label “Trump supporter,” which only reinforces the idea that overidentification with a celebrity harms not only the individual, but also interpersonal communication with others.
And this interpersonal communication with others extends beyond politics. Taylor Swift similarly has an immense scope of influence, with the Philadelphia Federal Reserve reporting in their June Beige Book, a qualitative summary of the changes in economic activity from the months prior, that hotel revenue in May soared due to the “influx of guests for the Taylor Swift concerts in the city” [8]. This influence, both economic and social, invariably leads to celebrity worship. Taylor Swift fans, known as Swifties, similarly have a reputation (pun intended) of fiercely defending and identifying with Taylor Swift. Most notably, in early 2021, Swifties defended Taylor Swift after she criticized a line from the Netflix show “Ginny & Georgia'' that poked fun at her for having a lot of ex boyfriends. Following Taylor’s criticism, her fans began to attack and harass the young black actress who said the line in the show, harassment that Taylor Swift did not address or discourage [6][7]. Thus, interpersonal communications become increasingly polarized when the individuals communicating overidentify with the celebrity or political figure they worship. As such, the most harmful part of celebrity worship that causes increased polarization within interpersonal communication is the override of individual identity in favor of the celebrity identity.
And so, will I continue to self-identify as a die-hard David Tennant fan? Yes, but with the careful understanding of the delineation between being a fan and being a celebrity worshiper. Having interests and favorite celebrities or political figures is not a bad thing by any means, but it is nevertheless prudent to stay away from extremes, in order to protect the rich individualism within our society.
